I welcomed the switch on of cutting edge 4G mobile services from mobile network EE in Basingstoke today, making the town amongst the most connected places in Britain.
Superfast 4G mobile services – also known as LTE – are on average five times faster than 3G services and should be a great improvement for local residents and businesses, enabling them to do more on their smartphones and tablets while on the move. EE, which also runs the Orange and T-Mobile brands in the UK, is currently the only mobile operator in the UK offering superfast 4G mobile.
Independent research has found that 4G is likely to drive economic growth locally by improving business productivity and helping businesses increase mobile-commerce, while also allowing residents to quickly and easily access social network sites, stream TV and music, and access government, banking, shopping and other online services on the go.
Once again, Basingstoke continues to lead the way and we are now an area where it is even more attractive to live, work and do business. While this is a great improvement for our town, making it one of the best connected towns in Britain, it is important that mobile operators don’t forget rural communities, where many residents live and work too.
Olaf Swantee, CEO of EE, said: “I’m delighted that 4G is arriving in Basingstoke, and am looking forward to seeing it make a big difference for residents and businesses in the area. 4G will change the way that people use their smartphones, tablets and mobile Wi-Fi, both for work and for pleasure.”
I’m told that 4G mobile from EE is now available in 85 towns and cities across the UK, and will be available to 98% of the population by the end of 2014.